NHRC issues notices to DGP Chhattisgarh over alleagations of Rape by police in Sukma #Vaw

NHRC notices to the Director General of Police, Chhattisgarh and Union Home Secretary over allegations of rape by CRPF/Police personnel in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh

New Delhi, 11th April, 2017

The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices, returnable within four weeks, to the Director General of Police, Chhattisgarh and the Union Home Secretary over allegations that on the 2nd April, 2017 at 04.00 a.m. some un-indentified CRPF/Police personnel entered a house at Patel Para of Chintagufa Village in district Sukma of Chhattisgarh looking out for a man said to be a member of Sangham. They dragged out the 15 year old sister of the man and raped her.

Allegedly, they also severely beat her family members when they tried to rescue the girl. The victim and her mother are being kept in custody by the police and pressure is being mounted upon the victim to change her statement. The reporter of the newspaper, who had reported the incident, is also allegedly being questioned. Reportedly, the police authorities have denied the allegations saying that these have been leveled with an intention to defame and demoralize the police force.

The Commission has observed that the allegations, if true, raise an issue of violation of human rights. The CRPF/Police personnel are public servants to protect the citizen’s rights and not to violate them. The perpetrators are required to be booked under law. There is extreme need to provide protection and proper counselling along with relief and rehabilitation to the victim and her family members.

The Commission took cognizance of the matter on the basis of news clippings and the copies of the complaints by the victim’s mother to the SP and by Bhartiya Mahila Federation, Sukma to District Collector, brought to its notice by Ms. Nandani Sundar, Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Delhi seeking its intervention